The taste, flavor and juiciness of a steak will mainly depend on the cut you choose and, of course, the way you cook it. However, most of the knowledgeable consumers and restaurateurs go for a tender cut beef. There are several reasons for preferring this cut over other cuts. Firstly, tender cuts are typically made in those sections of the carcass that has comparatively weak and low-activity muscles. This makes the steaks tender. It will also make your cooking faster, if you want it, that is. However, if you want slow-cooking you can go for braising cuts at the stronger and high-activity muscles.
Things to look for
When you selecttender cuts there are four specific things that you should look for. First, you must make sure that the meat has fine grain. Next make sure that there are fewer muscle groups within the cut. Ideally, you should prefer single muscle within the cut for best results. Then you must make sure that it contains a little bit of connective tissue because too much of it will spoil the taste. Lastly, check the fat marbling. It should ideally be between lean to medium amount, though it will depend much of your personal preference. Additionally, you must also check that it has very fine clusters of muscle fibers in it. This will make it feel soft when you touch.
Reasons for such checks
The most significant reason to make these checks is to retain the taste of the steak. For example, if you choose a tender cut with more than one muscle it is highly likely to have a larger amount of connective tissue in it. This will make the tender steaks chewy. Also, the fibers of several muscles will run in different directions. This will make your steak tougher and your customers will surely not like it. Check out sites like https://www.flannerybeef.com/to get more clues to choose the right cuts and favorable qualities of meat and different recipes.
Making your choice
For tender cuts you can choose the nerve ends of the strip loin. This is situated at the back of the muscle and usually New York strip steaks are cut from here. However, once again, make sure that it does not contain large number of connective tissues if you are not interested in braising the meat. Remember, to break the gelatin to make it delicious it will need a lot of time and high temperature. Therefore, while choosing tender cuts, take your time.